* The Cavaliers don’t have college football’s best tailbacks, but they certainly have one of the game’s best trios.

Perry Jones (18 carries, 149 yards), Kevin Parks (17 for 86) and freshman Clifton Richardson of Menchville High (five for 32) combined for 267 of Virginia’s 272 yards rushing. They constantly moved the pile, made wise cuts and got to the edge.

“They all have something the others don’t have,” reserve quarterback David Watford said. “But the one thing is, they all run hard.”

* Props to Yellow Jackets defensive coordinator and former Cavaliers coach Al Groh. After watching Virginia dissect his defense, and with the field swarming with celebrating fans, Groh could have simply sprinted to the safety of the locker room.

Instead, he endured the crowd and sought out several U.Va. players. It was a class move by Groh, returning to his alma mater for the first time since his 2009 dismissal.

Groh was also cordial prior to the game, huddling with Virginia assistant coach Anthony Poindexter and graduate assistant Marques Hagans.

* Whether in victory or defeat, Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson rarely minces words, and Saturday was no different. Asked if the 12th-ranked Jackets had bought into the hype surrounding their 6-0 start, Johnson said:

“Well, I don’t know. We’ve gotten away with just going through the motions the last few weeks. You can see it in pregames. There’s no intensity. There’s no emotion. It’s hard to play this game without that.

“We’ve got to fix some things. That’s four weeks in a row that (an opponent’s back has) rushed for 100-plus yards. Offensively, we are less than ideal. We didn’t execute anywhere. We had chances on the perimeter. We got the ball pitched (on the option) several times where it was two-on-two with blockers and we didn’t get it done.”

* As I blogged prior to the game, Georgia Tech’s triple-option is going to produce on the ground. The key to slowing the Jackets is to avoid getting suckered by play-action passes that generate easy touchdowns and/or long gains.

Sure enough, Virginia harassed Tevin Washington into a 2-for-8, 24-yard afternoon with two interceptions. He had a 66-yard completion to Orwin Smith called back by a block in the back.

“You are not going to win too many games when you throw for 24 yards,” Johnson said.

Cornerback Chase Minnifield had one of Virginia’s picks and said having two weeks to prepare for Tech was invaluable.

“It helped tremendously,” he said. “I don’t know if we get this outcome without the bye week. It is such an assignment-based offense so you really have to be on key and on point. We practiced hard, and you could tell by the results that we were ready for this game.”

* Numbers racket:

Virginia’s 272 yards rushing were its most since 348 versus Duke in 2004.

Tech’s 24 yards passing were the fewest by a Cavs’ opponent since North Carolina’s 17 in 1979.

The No. 12 Jackets are Virginia’s highest-ranked conquest since No. 4 Florida State in 2005.

I can be reached at 247-4636 or by e-mail at dteel@dailypress.com. Follow me at twitter.com/DavidTeelatDP